If the name Alexandru Ceachir doesn't ring a bell, don't be surprised. Unlike many junior college players the 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman from Santa Monica College doesn't have a storied high school career and wasn't ranked in the ESPNU 150 when he graduated in 2009.
The man better known as "Cheech" just took up the sport a couple of years ago when he came to America from Moldova, a country located between Romania and the Ukraine.
Now he has several FBS offers in hand and could be one of the most coveted juco offensive linemen by the end of the month.
"I always had an interest in American football and I played a few games with some club teams in Europe," Ceachir said. "It was nothing like high school football is in this country."
When Ceachir was hooked up with Santa Monica College he was raw on talent and knowledge of the game but he was no stranger to the weight room and quickly immersed himself in training to get strong enough to play offensive line.
"I've always been a guy that liked to lift weights," Ceachir said. "When I got here my bench press was about 250 pounds and now it's well over 300 pounds. Whenever I'm not playing or in class I'm usually working in the weight room."
Ceachir has started most of his time at Santa Monica, he played right tackle for much of 2010 and switched to left tackle this year. The Santa Monica offense is averaging 34 points a game and nearly 400 yards on offense.
Former Division II player and junior college coach Timmi Norling is one of the people who has helped Ceachir with his continued understanding of the game. Not surprisingly, several FBS programs have taken interest in Ceachir with offers from Fresno State, Arkansas, Colorado State and Utah.
"The first thing that pops out for me when I see Cheech is his mean streak," said Norling. "His mean streak and his natural strength are what really helps him stand out. I expect he's going to have several major offers by the end of this month.
"He's a natural athlete and looks natural playing the position. Offensive linemen are always in need, especially at the tackle position and Cheech is ready to play."
Ceachir says he'll be looking at academics first in his next school but he also has visions of playing professionally.
"I believe the NFL is a realistic goal for me and I want to be in a program where I'm able to play and not sit on the bench," Ceachir said. "Many of the schools that see me feel the same way. I continue to learn new things about the game every day."
Ceachir says he plans on taking his official visits after the season and will make a decision in December.

SMC — As Alex Ceachir reflects on the past several months, he's finding it difficult to vocalize a powerful sense of gratitude.

"I'm so nervous right now," he confesses with a modest smile in his first interview with a journalist. "I just don't have words to express. I like my coaches, my family because they support me, they help me. And that's great … it's hard to explain."

Dressed all in white — shorts and a T-shirt — Ceachir, 20, is sitting on a bench overlooking Corsair Field on the campus of Santa Monica College. It's just before 5 p.m. on a chilly Tuesday night, and our conversation is coming to a temporary close. During the past half hour, Ceachir (pronounced "Chuh-KEER") has told me how he first played American football five years ago, how he instantly fell in love with the sport and how that love brought him to leave his hometown of Chisinau, Moldova, for Southern California.

Definitely not small. He has a big boy body. How many years does he have to play? 3/3? Technique is not very good. I think he's getting by because he's a weight room junky. Not a bad thing, mind you but just scares me a little bit when technically the kid is raw and is also a JUCO. I wouldn't mind if a kid was raw and is a freshman because you have a longer period of time to coach them out of those habits.

Film was just ok for me. I feel the same way about him that I do about Kough. Kinda meh. They are big body kids that are still maturing and learning the game. I'm a little tentative on this one because of the juco status.

Definitely not small. He has a big boy body. How many years does he have to play? 3/3? Technique is not very good. I think he's getting by because he's a weight room junky. Not a bad thing, mind you but just scares me a little bit when technically the kid is raw and is also a JUCO. I wouldn't mind if a kid was raw and is a freshman because you have a longer period of time to coach them out of those habits.

Film was just ok for me. I feel the same way about him that I do about Kough. Kinda meh. They are big body kids that are still maturing and learning the game. I'm a little tentative on this one because of the juco status.

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I'm pretty sure that he's got 3 years to play 2. With him being a December graduate, we'd have about 8 months to work on technique before the opener next year. It's not ideal, but we need more size and strength. I completely agree, though, that if a JUCO can't provide immediate help that we should recruit a high school kid instead.

My concern is that he may need time to develop instead of a guy who can compete right away, but hopefully the coaches are seeing someone who is ready to go right away and could win one of the starting guard spots.

Well, not going to argue with the coaches if they like what they see as they are proven recruiters. I think from the clips that have been posted, he's a strong kid and a little more seasoned coming from a JUCO. We need some strong, iron-willed kid's to come in and toughen up the OL and DL. We're too soft on those fronts to compete currently.

As I posted under my bud"s account on rivals, I saw the Utah coaches on the train at the Las Vegas airport. Worked my way into sitting next to them on the rental car bus. Chow telling KyleW that "the Russian" was at Colorado this weekend. He was cutting out of Vegas Monday early to go see the Russian. Also going to visit that CB "I don't like at Serra". Maybe we missed something? And then visit Rancho Santa Margararita HS.

I rammed him with my roller bag on the bus and said "excuse me Mr Chow".

As I posted under my bud"s account on rivals, I saw the Utah coaches on the train at the Las Vegas airport. Worked my way into sitting next to them on the rental car bus. Chow telling KyleW that "the Russian" was at Colorado this weekend. He was cutting out of Vegas Monday early to go see the Russian. Also going to visit that CB "I don't like at Serra". Maybe we missed something? And then visit Rancho Santa Margararita HS.

I rammed him with my roller bag on the bus and said "excuse me Mr Chow".

As I posted under my bud"s account on rivals, I saw the Utah coaches on the train at the Las Vegas airport. Worked my way into sitting next to them on the rental car bus. Chow telling KyleW that "the Russian" was at Colorado this weekend. He was cutting out of Vegas Monday early to go see the Russian. Also going to visit that CB "I don't like at Serra". Maybe we missed something? And then visit Rancho Santa Margararita HS.

I rammed him with my roller bag on the bus and said "excuse me Mr Chow".

There is a chance he could take one more visit but it appears that Colorado or Utah will land Ceachir's services."I think I'll probably commit soon after that (Utah) visit," Ceachir said. "I know I have some time until later this month but after this visit I should have an answer.